Immortality Begins With Internal Breathing

Violent explosions, deafening clashes, and roaring blasts resounded through the forest. Black-red energy surged around Pei Xuan, enveloping his entire body. He resembled a terrifying yao, transforming into a streak of black-red light that slammed continuously toward Lin Zheyu. His speed was astonishing. With the aid of the black-red energy, he tore through air resistance and unleashed velocity far beyond that of ordinary martial artists. Unlike Lin Zheyu, who forcibly broke through wind resistance to surpass the speed of sound, Pei Xuan, as a half-yao and true strength martial artist, was not only faster but also more agile.

The Heavenspan Saber slashed continuously, its blade light swift as lightning, sharp and powerful. Lin Zheyu stood in place, his expression calm. His formidable perception was fully unleashed. No matter how fast Pei Xuan moved, nothing escaped his awareness. He could easily detect even the slightest motion from Pei Xuan and immediately predict his next move. Each of his strikes cut from strange and cunning angles, forcing Pei Xuan back again and again.

His strength is far weaker than mine, yet with the unique energy of a yao martial artist, he can move faster than I can.

The yao martial artist before him was far stronger than those he had previously faced. In the past, Lin Zheyu could rely on his terrifying strength and masterful lightness and movement techniques to surpass others in both power and speed. But this opponent was different. This person had clearly reached the peak of the Force Transformation realm and might be only a single step away from becoming a Grandmaster realm expert. The speed he unleashed was not merely supersonic—it exceeded it.

If this were purely a contest of strength, mine should surpass the peak of the Force Transformation realm, though it would still fall short of a Grandmaster realm expert. However, lacking a powerful energy like true strength, immense wind resistance limits my speed, making me slower than true peak Force Transformation realm experts. If I could make up for this weakness in speed, my overall combat strength should rival that of a Grandmaster realm expert.

The reason he could exceed the speed of sound was due to his strength far surpassing peak Force Transformation realm martial artists, allowing him to forcibly break through air resistance and the sonic barrier.

Blade light streaked like lightning through the air, striking Pei Xuan from time to time and tearing through his energy shield, carving open large wounds. Yet the regenerative ability of yao martial artists was astonishing. Injuries of this level did not even count as light wounds to them.

”You have some skill. No wonder you killed so many of my subordinates,” Pei Xuan’s cold voice rang out.

With a dull sound, Lin Zheyu’s blade once again broke through Pei Xuan’s energy shield and struck his arm. This wound was deeper, the blade sinking nearly a centimeter into the bone. But that was all.

The black-red energy within Pei Xuan erupted violently as he retreated at high speed, avoiding Lin Zheyu’s strike. His expression grew increasingly savage, his eyes nearly swallowed by darkness. He found his opponent extremely strange. Fighting him felt suffocating, as though every attack was seen through and every weakness easily exposed. Even more bizarre was that he could not sense any true strength aura from him.

What exactly is this guy’s background? Damn it, fighting him feels even worse than fighting that old man I met in Wuling City, Pei Xuan thought.

When he fought Elder Yang before, he felt a similar frustration. That old man, like the one before him, could easily see through his attacks and exploit his weaknesses. The difference was that the old man’s strength was far weaker. Relying on his power and his resistance to injury, Pei Xuan could suppress Elder Yang. But facing Lin Zheyu was different. Lin Zheyu was stronger and more perceptive. Every strike filled Pei Xuan with caution. At the very start, he had nearly had his neck severed by a single slash.

The situation is tense now. Strong martial artists often appear in these mountains. I must finish this quickly. After this, I will fully become a follower of the Mother of Pain, so there is nothing left to hold back... I have long wanted to experience what it feels like to undergo deeper demonization and become a half yao, thought Pei Xuan as his expression grew even more twisted.

His strength far surpassed that of his former subordinate, Duan Ping. Even after becoming a half-yao, Duan Ping had not reached the peak of the Force Transformation realm.

In an instant, Pei Xuan’s body changed. His two-meter frame swelled larger, muscles bulging as black-red patterns surfaced across his skin. Terrifying muscles protruded like tumors, and black-red veins spread throughout his body. In the blink of an eye, Pei Xuan transformed into a monstrous figure over three meters tall.

Half-yao!

Lin Zheyu’s brows tightened as a strong sense of danger rose in his heart.

After transforming into a half-yao, Pei Xuan’s aura grew even more terrifying. A brutal and malevolent presence spread outward, faintly interfering with Lin Zheyu’s Perception Domain.

No, this guy is already extremely close to being a true yao. Senior Sister Gu Ye once said that even the weakest true yaos possess strength comparable to Grandmaster realm experts. The terrifying aura they emit that distorts perception must be why they can rival Grandmaster realm experts.

He tightened his grip on the Heavenspan Saber as blood qi surged through his body. A faint golden blood qi energy spread from him, surrounding his form and condensing into a five-clawed golden dragon. This was the result of pushing his blood qi to its limit, causing it to overflow uncontrollably. Facing the half-yaoized Pei Xuan, Lin Zheyu felt unprecedented pressure. Yet he felt no fear. Instead, he was exhilarated, his body trembling uncontrollably with excitement.

”Is battle something I crave in my very bones?” Lin Zheyu murmured softly.

His spirit and spiritual soul were now incredibly strong, and the true intents he had condensed barely influenced him. His desire for battle came entirely from within.

Boom!

Suddenly, power erupted from within Pei Xuan. The ground beneath his feet exploded as his massive body shot toward Lin Zheyu.

”So fast!” Lin Zheyu was startled. After becoming a half-yao, the monster was even faster.

The invisible force field radiating from his opponent slightly disrupted his Perception Domain. Lin Zheyu could no longer predict Pei Xuan’s next move. In his perception, Pei Xuan was shrouded in chaotic evil energy, leaving only his rapid trajectory visible.

The Heavenspan Saber sliced through the air toward the monstrous Pei Xuan. The sharp blade tore through his energy shield and sank into his grotesque, tumor-like muscles.

A sharp sound rang out as the blade struck bone, only to be halted by a powerful energy, unable to cut further.

”Heh.”

Pei Xuan’s face twisted with savagery, his eyes filled with brutality and evil. He sneered as though the strike meant nothing, swinging his right fist toward Lin Zheyu’s head. Lin Zheyu’s expression hardened. With the force field constantly emanating from Pei Xuan, he could not rely on his Perception Domain to predict the attack. He withdrew his saber and retreated swiftly, raising his left arm to block.

A dull impact resounded from the immense impact. The moment Pei Xuan’s fist hit his arm, a cold energy drilled inward. When it met Lin Zheyu’s golden blood qi, the two neutralized each other, releasing black smoke. Lin Zheyu retreated swiftly, yet Pei Xuan was even faster and closed the distance again.

Sounds of explosions rang out as the two figures collided, unleashing continuous explosions. Stones and dirt flew as trees shattered under the impact. Experts of the Force Transformation realm were terrifying in battle, and the battlefield became a chaotic ruin in moments.

Bang, bang, bang!

Golden and black-red figures clashed. Even without his perception advantage, Lin Zheyu remained calm. He pushed his lightness and movement techniques to the limit. Though the monster was faster, the battle did not become one-sided. His mastery of lightness and movement techniques allowed him to fight with ease at close range.

”Die!”

Pei Xuan roared like a beast, driven to madness. His brutality intensified as the battle dragged on, yet under the influence of the Baleful Yin force, he had no thought of retreat. This was the major flaw of half-yaos. Their minds were more affected by Baleful Yin force than those of yao martial artists. As long as the battle continued, Pei Xuan could not escape the half-yao state.